How the hell did Nino have one point in 55 games last year? He certainly has looked better than that.

A teenager who is used to being a dominant junior player being in and out of the lineup and forced into bottom line work while being told he needs to refine his game. He wasn't eligible for the AHL but there was no point in letting him play juniors another year, so he hung around the NHL club all year grabbing crap minutes.

It is the exact same thing that is going on with Grigorenko right now. Except this is already year #2 being burned on Mikhail's contract.

A teenager who is used to being a dominant junior player being in and out of the lineup and forced into bottom line work while being told he needs to refine his game. He wasn't eligible for the AHL but there was no point in letting him play juniors another year, so he hung around the NHL club all year grabbing crap minutes.

It is the exact same thing that is going on with Grigorenko right now. Except this is already year #2 being burned on Mikhail's contract.

Haven't the Islanders been rebuilding for like, ever? What did they have to lose by letting him get his minutes and hopefully helping him grow into it, even if he needed to refine himself?

Seems like a strange strategy, especially if the end result is giving up on him like they did.

The whole idea of trading Yakupov is still weird to me. Edmonton is in a weird spot, I suppose. They still look like total **** after drafting all those forwards, which is not surprising but likely tiring up in Edmonton. Those trade scenarios are still pretty wild. I don't know if I can see anything like that happening.

As for the players you mentioned, Hodgson we just committed to as a rebuilding #1 who most likely want to see as the #2 in the future and will carry a respectable cap hit as one. Armia I still have no idea about. He definitely has value, but I just never saw a lot of him in Finland. He ranged from dominant to invisible when I did see him. At camp he seemed like he was trying to do much, a lot of stuff that he can't get away with here. Sometimes he looks great on the boards and then I see reports that's one of his biggest weaknesses. I just wish he was playing right now. I need to see more.

Girgensons is probably the most liked player on the team right now. Being a fan favorite didn't stop us from trading Kassian (which was smart if you ask me) but Girgensons looks real good. Bears his head down, goes hard on the forecheck and backcheck. Ridiculously hard worker with skill that keeps coming out more and more.

Haven't the Islanders been rebuilding for like, ever? What did they have to lose by letting him get his minutes and hopefully helping him grow into it, even if he needed to refine himself?

Seems like a strange strategy, especially if the end result is giving up on him like they did.

It's tough. I can't say what the right way to develop a guy is, but I think that long rebuild played a part in him not getting much of a top line shot. They were still developing guys like Bailey, Okposo, and Grabner on the secondary scoring lines, guys that they feel are part of their current core, while providing competent players for Tavares to work with. You want some ability in your top three lines to match another line defensively, as well, and Nino was no good for that. Then even as guys like Parenteau leave, some of those aforementioned guys are solid pieces in the lineup, and suddenly Nino has to compete with Strome and Nelson for a roster spot. I don't think there was reason to give up on a player like Nino, and while they did get what they felt was a piece to help their team, they basically did.

Personally, I have been wanting us to play Grigorenko more in a similar situation, but a lot of that is because of the **** rationalization that the coaches give for why he's out of the lineup. I know a lot of the guys that are playing in his place are also young guys that could be future pieces (Hodgson, Foligno, Girgensons, Ennis, Larsson, maybe Flynn) or guys you have to play (Ott, Moulson). So that leaves Leino and Stafford to complain about, as usual.

The whole idea of trading Yakupov is still weird to me. Edmonton is in a weird spot, I suppose. They still look like total **** after drafting all those forwards, which is not surprising but likely tiring up in Edmonton. Those trade scenarios are still pretty wild. I don't know if I can see anything like that happening.

As for the players you mentioned, Hodgson we just committed to as a rebuilding #1 who most likely want to see as the #2 in the future and will carry a respectable cap hit as one. Armia I still have no idea about. He definitely has value, but I just never saw a lot of him in Finland. He ranged from dominant to invisible when I did see him. At camp he seemed like he was trying to do much, a lot of stuff that he can't get away with here. Sometimes he looks great on the boards and then I see reports that's one of his biggest weaknesses. I just wish he was playing right now. I need to see more.

Girgensons is probably the most liked player on the team right now. Being a fan favorite didn't stop us from trading Kassian (which was smart if you ask me) but Girgensons looks real good. Bears his head down, goes hard on the forecheck and backcheck. Ridiculously hard worker with skill that keeps coming out more and more.

Oh I agree that trading yak would be really dumb for the oilers, but these are the oilers. They're bad at running a hockey team. And are really ****** by just how itty bitty, soft and one dimensional Gagner is. RNH is a stud in the making but he needs a second center who can bring a lot more grit and two way play to their top 6.

And if they do trade him I think buffalo taking advantage of all of the picks and secondary prospects/forwards to get a few studs in would make a lot of sense. Be it making a move for a guy like yak who may need a change of scenery, or just trading up for another lottery pick. And I get the hesitation on moving Hodgson, especially with the dearth of talent you have, but I figure you've still to draft your #1 C, so that means Hodgson, Girgs and Grigs will be the 2nd and third center, and I like the double Gs more for those roles.

Aim for a future core top 9 built around Yak-Reinhart, Grigs-Ennis, Girgs-Foligno, with all of those good young dmen and McDavid also a possibility next year and buffalo could turn this tank into a ridiculous collection of talent.

I'm not saying I would withhold Hodgson if it meant a top player coming back, I was just stating each guy's current standing with the team. But if you're trying to get away from softness at the center position, I don't know if Hodgson is the answer.

I'm not saying I would withhold Hodgson if it meant a top player coming back, I was just stating each guy's current standing with the team. But if you're trying to get away from softness at the center position, I don't know if Hodgson is the answer.

Oh I was just spitballing and thinking out loud, any of your 3 C's would be a big upgrade over Gagner, with a talented winger prospect and a pick or two that seems like the kind of deal for Yakubov that helps both teams.

The Oilers have like a billion forwards and zero d-men. If they're to trade Gagner/Yakupov, I can't see how any trade that doesn't involve a top prospect defenseman could make any sense. But then again, they traded for Perron when they absolutely did not need him, so what do I know.

The Oilers have like a billion forwards and zero d-men. If they're to trade Gagner/Yakupov, I can't see how any trade that doesn't involve a top prospect defenseman could make any sense. But then again, they traded for Perron when they absolutely did not need him, so what do I know.

Wings will give the Oilers Brendan Smith. He'll look perfect coughing up the puck on their blueline and taking stupid penalties for years to come.

The Oilers have like a billion forwards and zero d-men. If they're to trade Gagner/Yakupov, I can't see how any trade that doesn't involve a top prospect defenseman could make any sense. But then again, they traded for Perron when they absolutely did not need him, so what do I know.

Cause the oilers have a **** ton of good defensive prospect like buffalo. What they don't have are well rounded forwards or anything in net.

Seriously, the avs have 1 loss and we're still just barely holding onto first. Hopefully the Blues can start ******** the bed so Chicago, Colorado and Minnesota can get a jump on the 3 central playoff spots.

Seriously, the avs have 1 loss and we're still just barely holding onto first. Hopefully the Blues can start ******** the bed so Chicago, Colorado and Minnesota can get a jump on the 3 central playoff spots.

Nice to see the Rangers actually looking like a real team again. The opening road trip was just brutal. Nice to have Hagelin and Callahan. Unfortunately Nash looks out for the forseeable future so we're missing out best player. I'm extremely interested to seeing the line combos once he gets back though.

Yeah seems like I should be glad I missed that game. EJ with the ten minutes, Wilson going back to horrific, Sarich being a mess, our third line being useless, and Nashville fans crying about another big hit to their young defensemen cause the avs are such thugs.